Satellite Telecom

First Ariane 5 of 2022 slated for June launch of Measat-3d and GSAT-24
A pair of satellites from Malaysia and India are slated to launch in late June on the Ariane 5 rocket’s first flight of the year.

Intellian inks $60 million antenna deal with SES
South Korean antenna maker Intellian Technologies signed a supply deal worth 71.1 billion won ($60 million) with Luxembourg-based satellite fleet operator SES.

Eutelsat: We quit the C-Band Alliance because our voice wasn’t heard
Eutelsat Chief Executive Rodolphe Belmer said his company decided last week to leave the C-Band Alliance because the group didn’t pay sufficient attention to the company’s concerns.

DirecTV owner AT&T says it’s done buying satellites
“We’ve launched our last satellite,” John Donovan, CEO of AT&T Communications, said during a presentation to analysts.

Army wants “adapt and buy” approach to speed telecom acquisition
The U.S. Army wants to accelerate its network modernization programs by making greater use of commercial telecommunications technology.

Army seeks fixes to vulnerable satellite communications
U.S. Army officials went to Capitol Hill this week seeking lawmakers’ approval to stop buying satellite communications systems that are susceptible to jamming and shift funds to more modern alternatives.

ESA joins with satellite industry to harness 5G opportunities
ESA’s director of telecommunications and integrated applications, Magali Vaissiere, joined 16 European satellite industry leaders at the Paris Air Show June 21 to sign a joint statement on collaborating on the Satellite for 5G initiative. 5G networks will offer extremely low latencies and high capacity, enabling widespread deployment of Internet of Things technologies including autonomous cars, connected factories and smart infrastructure.

Who’s keeping satellites safe from cyberattacks?
IoT will present enormous challenges for people who offer satellite communications products and services because each connected device from refrigerators to tractors offers hackers a point of entry into the network and a way to target other elements of the network.

Why SES all but skipped Satellite 2017
Satellite 2017 visitors were surprised to see Kymeta Corp.’s booth in the prominent exhibit hall location traditionally reserved for global satellite fleet operator SES.

Cheap satellite terminals key to bridging digital divide, execs say
The key to extending internet access to billions of people around the globe is not launching a massive constellation of satellites into low Earth orbit, but creating inexpensive terminals, senior industry executives said March 9 at the Satellite 2017 conference.

Protecting satellites from cyber attacks isn’t getting any easier
Satellites service and equipment suppliers remain on high alert, watching for signs individual hackers or powerful nation states are trying to breach their network’s cybersecurity. That job is becoming increasingly complex as satellite networks become an integral part of larger terrestrial networks.

Air Force ready to offer commercial operators spots for WGS partnership effort, general says
U.S. Air Force Space Command is looking to increase its partnership with industry, even preparing to bring in commercial operators to help run the Wideband Global Satcom constellation, the AFSC vice commander said March 8.

Boeing expects market for big communications satellites to remain soft
The commercial market for geostationary communications satellites shows no signs of rebound, according to Boeing executives who attribute lackluster demand to the rapid pace of innovation in the satellite market, few launch opportunities and the inability of the U.S. Export Import Bank to finance large transactions.

Teleports groaning under the strain of proliferating satellites
New satellites promise 10 or 100 times the capacity of their predecessors, but teleports can’t grow 10 or 100-fold. In fact, they need to shrink.

Belarus’ satellite operator feeling good a year after first satellite launch
A little over a year after the launch of its first satellite, Belarus’ state-owned telecom satellite operator, Belintersat, says its commercial sales efforts are bearing fruit.

Japan launches first military communications satellite
Japan on Tuesday launched its first military communications satellite to boost the broadband capacity of its Self Defence Forces as they reinforce an island chain stretching along the southern edge of the East China Sea.

Spacecom taps Boeing for Amos-5 replacement
Israeli satellite operator Space Communications said on Wednesday it would launch a new telecommunications satellite in 2019 after losing a prior one in an explosion.

FCC chairman says Jan. 20 will be his last day
Wheeler announced Thursday that Jan. 20 — inauguration day — will mark his final day at the helm of the telecom regulatory agency.

Beauchamp: Military satcom resiliency will rely on more commercial, international partnerships
The solution to making military space communications secure could be more. More satellites. More partners. More bandwidth. More everything.

RigNet connecting fewer offshore rigs as energy market languishes
Oil-and-gas telecommunications service provider RigNet says more than 90 offshore rigs it helped link to land have shut down since late 2014, with more to follow as the energy sector continues to feel the global pressure of too much production.